Innovation abounds at a Mile High
Space entrepreneurs explore the next frontier in Colorado

Colorado is at the forefront of innovation and commercial space opportunities. With a regional U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, our entrepreneurs can experience speed to market and cost reduction in protecting their inventions.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)Colorado’s ever-increasing reputation as one of the nation’s leading states for innovation soared even higher when the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) opened one of four new satellite offices in Denver in 2014. Colorado was chosen due to the state's expansive culture of innovation and entrepreneurism.

Catalyst Campus for Technology & InnovationLocated in Colorado Springs, provides a centralized ecosystem to promote industry, education, and venture capital for advanced industries such as aerospace, defense, home land security, and advanced manufacturing.

The WarehouseA Loveland-based business accelerator that NASA's first partner under its "Adopt-An-Accelerator" program. Select clients can receive up to 40 hours of NASA consulting assistance.

AeroSpace VenturesBrings together more than a dozen aerospace-related institutes, centers, government laboratories, and industry partners on CU-Boulder's campus to develop new technologies focusing on unmanned aircraft, small satellites, and Earth and space sensors.

“The Rocky Mountain USPTO office will also help expedite the patent examination process and advance cutting-edge ideas to the marketplace, where they will create more jobs and spur additional, groundbreaking innovations.” Michelle K. Lee, Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for IP and USPTO Deputy Director

Notable rankings:

Colorado ranks 4th-highest for SBIR grants. The SBIR program is a U.S. Government program, coordinated by the Small Business Administration, intended to help certain small businesses conduct research and development (R&D).

Colorado ranked ninth in the number of patents issued per 1 million people in 2016. (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, 2016; U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2016)

Colorado ranked as the second-most entrepreneurial state, with nearly $18 million in venture capital funding per 100,000 people and 2.81 small businesses per 100 people. (NerdWallet, 2015)